The Covering Ritual: Dolly’s Invisible Dirt Technique
- charlhaw
- May 4
- 1 min read
Updated: May 11
Dolly has a whole routine before she eats, and it’s been happening since she was about five months old. She won’t touch her food until she “buries” the bowl as if she’s covering it with dirt, even though the only thing on the floor is… the floor.
This is what she does:
Nose‑sweeping nothingness- the floor, the mat, the air-like she’s sweeping imaginary dirt
She uses blankets like she’s tucking the bowl in
She piles toys on top like she’s building a barricade
She’ll wedge the bowl under furniture
And she will not eat until she decides the job is done
What’s going on?
This is pure instinct. Dachshunds were bred to hunt and stash things, so covering food is basically her tapping into her “wild animal” era — even though she lives in a house with central air and a toy basket.
Covering her food is a leftover behavior from wild canines who hid meals for later. Dolly’s just doing what her brain tells her to do: “Hide the food. Then eat the food.”
What does it mean?
This behavior makes no sense and perfect sense at the same time. Dolly isn’t trying to be funny; she’s just living her best life knowing that dinner must be “buried” before it can be eaten.
And honestly, it’s one of the many reasons she’s such a character.
Comments